More cancer patients miss out on therapy

Treatment of cancer patients is falling further behind world standards, with those needing radiation therapy now having to wait longer for treatment.

Surveys by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists show the rate of patients starting treatment within best-practice times fell by almost a third in the year to May.

The college said patients requiring urgent treatment should undergo therapy within 24 hours. Those requiring relief from symptoms should start within 48 hours, while patients requiring curative treatment should start within 14 days.

However, the surveys show that just 44 per cent of Australian cases met these targets in May last year, and a year later the figure had fallen to 32 per cent.

The college's surveys also indicate Australia is treating only 38 per cent of cancer patients with radiation; the World Health Organisation's benchmark figure is 50 per cent.");document.write("

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With breast cancer, the benchmark is 83 per cent, yet only 71 per cent receive radiation treatment. For lung cancer, the WHO says 76 per cent require radiation therapy, but only 50 per cent of Australian sufferers receive it. For cancer of the rectum, WHO says 57 per cent will need therapy, yet it is available to only 30 per cent of sufferers.

The college says that each year 10,000 Australians cannot get treatment. Within three years this figure could rise to 15,000.

Dr Liz Kenny, Dean of the Faculty of Radiation Oncology in the RANZCR, said: "Not everybody needs radiotherapy, but approximately 50 per cent of cancer patients do. We just don't have the infrastructure, the staff, or the equipment needed to provide that level of service."

The shortfall is being blamed on the declining number of radiation therapists. Between November 2000 and November last year 92 radiation therapists left the profession. Fifty-three moved overseas, where pay can be much higher.

The vice-president of the Australian Institute of Radiography, Jo Smylie, said there were 859 funded positions for radiation therapists throughout Australia, of which just 770 were filled.

"Throughout 2001 NSW had a 22 per cent vacancy rate, which resulted in machines closing because there was no-one to operate them."